Rich text format (RTF) commands encode formatted text and graphics for easy transfer between applications. A system that employs RTF commands includes a writer that is a component that takes a formatted file and turns it into an RTF file. The writer separates the application's control information from the actual text and writes a new file containing the text and RTF groups associated with that text. The system also includes a reader that is a component that translates an RTF file into a formatted file.
An RTF file includes the unformatted text, itself, as well as a number of other things. The RTF file includes control words that mark printer control codes and other information used to manage a document. The RTF file also includes control symbols such as a backslash followed by a single non-alpha character. The RTF file includes groups which have text and control words or control symbols enclosed in braces. The braces specify the text that is affected by the group and the different attributes of that text represented by the control words and control symbols.
In some communication systems, such as chat room systems and instant messaging systems, messages are exchanged between various users. In an instant messaging system, there is no separate database that holds message attributes. Instant messaging systems provide messages as a flat list of messages that a user cannot interact with. In a chat room system, a database holds different properties of the messages, such as the identity of the person who sent the message, when the message was sent, etc.
It is difficult to add a new message property in either of these systems. In the chat room system, which includes a database that holds message properties, either the schema or the architecture must be changed in order to add a property. In the instant messaging system, there is no separate database that holds message properties. Therefore, both of these types of communication systems are fairly limited in their ability to generate messages that can be interacted with by other users, or that can be operated on in other ways, other than conventional text formatting employed by conventional RFT commands.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.